Louisville struggles to keep historic Belle from sinking

In its 83 years, the Belle of Louisville went from freighter to excursion boat to beloved landmark. Now, the city's sweetheart is in trouble.

"To Louisvillians, it's a lot like the Titanic sinking," said Dennis Stengel, one of hundreds who came to the Ohio River wharf Sunday to see the partially sunken Belle, its tall stacks leaning.A major rescue mission continued Monday to help the sinking steamboat, including towboats, divers, pumps, a huge crane and a nationally known salvage expert. The boat, which was unoccupied, remained stabilized this morning with one side of its stern and its bright red paddlewheel resting on river mud under 10 feet of water.